A Simple Mission
by gh44444
Summary: A chimera crew is given a simple task. Of course forces beyond their control are going to make their simple mission quite the adventure. Loosely based on a game of Dawn of War me and a buddy of mine played.
1. Chapter 1

The room is filled with the incoherent shouts of men. The men, each dressed in the uniform of the Armaggedon Steel Legion, are shouting at one man who sits in the front of the room. The seated man sits with his legs crossed and simply waits as the others shout at him.

"We're getting creamed out there!" One of the men shouts over the others.

"How long till we get reinforcements from Armaggedon?" Another shouts.

The seated man stays silent as the shouts get more aggressive and become louder.

"Cowards!" One man shouts at another.

"You callin me a coward, you underhive bastard!" 

The two men engage in a fistfight, and soon, the entire room descends into a brawl. Gas masks are broken, and blood is spilled on the clean metal floor. The foldable steel chairs that were meant for sitting are now being used as weapons. 

The seated man lets out a sigh and stands up. He heads for the door and leaves the room. In almost an instant, he returns to the room with a woman who wears the commissar's greatcoat. She takes one look at the brawl that is going on and lets out a sigh. She takes out her bolt pistol and aims it at the roof of the room and fires a shot. 

The bolt rings throughout the room, stopping the brawl mid-fight. All of the men quietly stand at attention from their respective positions and gently put the chairs back in their original places. Like church mice, they quietly sit in the chairs and face forward. 

"Children." The woman roars. She leaves the room as hastily as she arrived, leaving the man in front alone. 

"Thank you, Commissar, Rebecca!" The man in front shouts through the now-closed door. "Now, then let us go over the battle plan." 

One of the seated men raises his hand.

"Yes, Commander Hel," The man in front asks.

Commander Hel stands up, his faded yellow trenchcoat bearing a splatter of blood, and his goggles shattered. 

"As Commander Kyiv said, we are getting creamed out there. The orcs are too plentiful, and the fact that their allied with the Dark Eldar is making our lives a living hell out there." Hel says disparately. 

"Your concern is noted." The man in front says. "Anyway, onto the battle plan." 

Commander Hel sits down, cursing under his breath. 

"The High Commander wants Hel to assist our Eldar allies in transporting their troops to the frontline." The man in front says.

"Why me?" Hel asks.

"I don't know why you specifically, but it might be because your chimera has just finished being repaired." The man in front says. "It took one hell of a beating when you engaged the orcs."

"Anything else the High Commander needs of me," Hel says, standing up and heading the door. 

"No. He wants you to leave immediately, though. So may the Emperor watch over you." The man in front says. "Now then the rest of you lot-" 

Hel leaves before he can hear the rest of what the man in front had to say. He heads towards a large garage. Inside the garage are vehicles of many shapes the sizes. Vehicles such as chimeras and Leman Russ tanks. In the back of the garage lies a half-constructed baneblade, the massive behemoth sitting dormant as tech-priests hammer away at it. 

Hel makes it to a particular Chimera, with two men relaxing outside of it, and stops just in front of it. The Chimera has the numbers "191" printed on the side of it. Hel ignores the two men and rubs his hand against the numbers. 

"So, do we have a new mission?" The shortest of the men asks 

"You know we have a new mission Cas." The other man responds.

"Wasn't talking to you, Will," Cas says, standing on top of the Chimera. 

Will lets out a scoff. "Well, Hel, whats the mission this time? More orcs, I hope." 

Hel lets out a sigh. "What did I say about when addressing me in the garage."

"Always present ourselves in the best way possible in case the commissar comes around." Both Cas and Will say sarcastically.

Cas jumps off the top of the tank and lands on the ground below with a stumble. Will gets out of his chair and puts down his magazine. Both men stand at attention in front of Hel.

Both men are in white tanks tops with the Astra Militarium sigil printed on the front. Cas's tank top has been adjusted so that his stomach is exposed. Cas and Will both have their helmet and gas masks on hiding their faces. Will's skin is a pale white, while Cas's skin is a dark mocha color. 

"Cas"

"And Will"

"Reporting for duty." Both men say, putting up a salute. 

"At ease boys," Hel says

"So, what's the mission, Hel?" Cas says, lowering his salute. "Hopefully, something including the Dark Eldar." 

Hel walks over to Cas and puts a hand on his head. The much shorter guardsman lets out a small growl, which Hel completely ignores. "Unfortunately, not so much this time." 

"Are you serious?" Will interrupts. "Whats the High Commander thinking?"

"Obviously something more important than our petty revenge Will," Hel says, lifting his hand off Cas's helmet. "How have repairs gone on 191?" 

Will lets out a sigh as the sound of someone tripping is heard from behind 191. Metallic footsteps follow the loud crash, and a female tech priest appears in front of the men. She walks directly past Will and stands directly in front of Hel. She wears the bright red cloak of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and an enormous claw stands upright from her back. In her mechanical hands, she wields a power ax that seemingly towers over her. 

"Repairs are going slowly Hel." The enginseer says. "Your recklessness nearly cost the Imperium one of its most holy machines."

"Uh-huh," Hel responds. 

The enginseer squints her one biological eye. "You must take this seriously, Hel. The machine spirit told me it doesn't want to work with you anymore." 

"Uh-huh."

She starts to pout and looks at Cas, whose arms are folded. "You must understand the importance of the machine spirits concern."

Cas points to himself. "Me?" He asks, confused. 

"Yes, you. As the driver of this holy machine, you must understand the importance of appeasing the machine spirit."

Cas looks to Hel, who gives him a shrug. "Uh yeah, sure. The machine spirit should be appeased...I guess." 

A smile appears on the enginseer's face. "Finally, a biological who understands the weight of this situation." 

Will lets out a small chuckle. "Congrats, Cas, you achieved the impossible. You somehow connected with our enginseer." 

"Fuck off, Will," Cas says, climbing back onto the Chimera and disappearing into it. 

Hel looks at the enginseer and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Abigail, can you tell the machine spirit that we are sorry and that we promise to be less reckless in the future." 

Abigail looks at Hel then too the Chimera. "I will try Hel, but I make no promises; it will accept your apology." 

"An attempt is all I'm asking for."

Abigail gives a nod to Hel and walks towards the back of the Chimera and disappears inside it. 

"Will, how long till we're ready to depart?"

Will walks over to his chair and sits in it. "Hard to say with the repairs still ongoing." He scratches the back of his neck. "We already stocked up on ammo and provisions for an elongated battle, and the tank is already full. I would say for about an hour." 

"Good then, we can keep to schedule and leave asap," Hel says more to himself than Will. 

Will gives a nod then picks up the magazine from underneath him. The latest issue of "Busty Gas Masks," which showcases female Steel Legion troops clad in skimpy outfits. Will opens it up and quietly studies it. 

Hel looks at him and walks over to where he is sitting and roughly grabs the magazine from him.

"C'mon Hel, that's the latest issue!" Will says despondently. 

"Imagine if the Commisar saw you looking at this...this….filth," Hel growls. "It would be one bolt to the head it would." 

"Aww c'mon Hel whens the last time the Commisar's been to the garage. Never is the answer to that question. Never."

"Doesn't matter."

Before Will can respond, Abigail comes rushing up the two. "Repairs are finished, Hel. The machine spirit is willing to give your crew another chance at driving it." 

"Good," Hel says confidently. "You can tell the machine spirit that he has our word; we will bring him back home safely." 

"..."

"What is it, Abigail? It looks like you want to say something?" Hel asks

"The machine spirit requested that you call it her."

"Our spirit is female?" Hel questions. "We've been in this machine for a decade, and just now, it tells us its female." 

"The spirit said it didn't believe it would survive this long with its current crew."

Hel facepalms. "Alright, I'll take that as a compliment on our abilities." He looks to Will. "Let's saddle up its time to go."

"Roger that," Will says, getting out of his chair and kicking it over. 

Will is the first to climb onto the Chimera and disappear into it. Hel follows soon after. 

The inside of 191 is cramped, to say the least. Her interior consists of three seats, two right next to each other by the turret and one below serving as the driver seat. She bears a multilaser which the gunner operates as well as a heavy bolter which the driver can use in emergencies. There isn't much space to stretch one's legs, and her fuel tank lies just below the Commander and Gunner's seat. Cas is already in his position below in the driver's seat. 

"Took you guys long enough," Cas says smugly. 

"Yeah, well, Hel and I were just talking about how much of a prick you are. So yeah, it took a while." Will shoots back. 

"Hel, is that true?" 

"Yeah, it's true," Hel says, readjusting himself in his seat. His legs are too long for the confines of the Chimera, so they rest on the back of Cas's chair. "Take us out when you're ready." 

"Understood Hel," Cas says, pulling a lever that activates the engine. 

191 spurs to life as the engine turn on. She spits out black smoke from her exhaust as she roars to life.

Hel turns in his seat and activates the vox-caster behind him. "This is 191. Permission to leave the garage."

"This is Command. Permission granted." A voice echoes back.

"You heard the man lets get going," Hel says, turning back in his chair. 

"191 rollin!" Cas shouts as 191 moves forward.

The treads of 191 move quickly down the runway of the garage. She stops at the massive front gate that separates the outside from the garage. Slowly but surely, the gate opens for 191. The gate completely opens, showering 191 in the glow of the setting sun. 191 charges headfirst, like a dog chasing a bone, out of the garage. Her treads crush the grass beneath her as she pushes forward. 

As she moves forward, she passes other buildings of the Imperial Guard, such as barracks and another garage. She approaches another massive gate, this one leading outside the outpost. She comes to a haggard halt in front of the entrance. The gate stays closed as she gently inches closer and closer to it. 

"Stop that, Cas," Hel says, annoyed. 

"Sorry. I just hate waiting."

The gates finally open, leading to a vast open space of lush grass and farmland. There is a dirt road leading away from the walls that separate the outpost from the outside. 

"So this is a Feudal World," Will says, peering through the scope of the multilaser. 

"A far cry from our homeworld," Hel says.

"You can say that again," Cas says in response.

"Anyway lads enough staring. Push forward." Hel commands.

"Pushin forward," Cas responds.

191 chugs along the dirt road. As she moves forward, she passes denizens dressed in simple clothing very much, unlike the uniform of her crew. These people wave at her as she passes. 191 pushes forward faster as if to ignore the waving hands. Her engine roars as she drives, and black smoke bellows through her exhaust. Eventually, she slows down, just in time for the road to finish and the waving hands to become a passing memory. 

Cas takes his hands off the levers and sits back in his chair.

"Alright, Hel, we're clear of friendly territory. What now?" Cas says, turning around in his chair to face Hel. 

"Our mission is to transport some Eldar troops to the frontlines. So we're going to head to the Eldar HQ and pick up their troops, I suppose." 

"One question."

"What is it, Will?" Hel asks

"Whats an Eldar?"

Hel looks at Will who's expression is covered, but Hel can tell when Will is confused or not. "An Eldar? Well, that's simple…." 

"Alright, so lay it on us, Commander," Cas interjects. 

"Gimme a sec, I'm trying to think here." 

"Do you know what an Eldar is?"

Hel thinks for a bit. He looks up to see that both Will and Cas are looking at him. "Alright Alright, I don't know what an Eldar is."

"So what the fuck are we picking up then?" Cas says, turning back around. 

"I dunno, we will see. Just start heading in the direction of the frontlines, and we'll just say we transported their troops." Hel says 

"So we're just shirking orders. That's totally going to sit well with the commissar." Will says sarcastically. "Might as well dig our graves now. Where do you want yours Cas."

"I want mine next to 191."

"Good choice. What about you, Hel? I personally think I want to be buried in this world. Somewhere in a nice grassy spot." Will says happily. 

"Stop it, Will," Hel says, annoyed. "We aren't shirking orders, and we're not dying. At least by the commissar's bolt. We're just….renavigating orders." 

Will looks at Hel. "Renavigating? Yup, Cas, we're dead men might as well convert to Chaos at this point." 

Cas stifles a laugh. Hel knocks Will on the head, making a thunk sound as his fist hits the metal helmet. 

"Cas push on to the frontline."

"Understood Commander."

Cas puts his hands back on the levers, and 191 roars back to life from her sleep. She pushes forward towards the frontline. Her treads roll over the grassy plain as she heads north. As she moves, the grass becomes more and more sparse and is replaced by rocky crags. However, the rocks do not inhibit her treads, and she goes over them as if they were grass. She continues this way for what seems to be an eternity. In reality, it has been 3 hours. As if spooked by something, 191 comes to a complete halt. 

"Cas what's wrong," Hel says.

"Will, did you see that?" Cas whispers.

"Yeah, I did, Cas." 

"Enemies?" Hel says seriously.

"Maybe Hel. Didn't get a good look."

"What did you see then."

"Maybe a wounded animal? What about you, Cas?" 

"Looked like a wounded person in my eyes."

Hel thinks to himself. "Who wants to go check?"

Will and Hel both look at Cas.

"Fuck off, I'm not going out there." 

"Cas get your ass out there." Hel commands

"Gimme your bolt pistol, and I'll go." 

"No. That's mine. You can go grab a lasgun from the back."

"You really goin to send me out there with a flashlight?" Cas asks incredulously.

"Don't worry, we'll cover you." Hel comforts. 

"You might as well just shoot me now."

"Don't tempt me."

"Alright Alright, I'm goin."

Cas opens up the front turret of 191. He squeezes out of the driver seat and makes it outside 191. He walks along the side of it and places a hand against 191's hull. He sneaks around the back and opens the hatch leading into the cargo hold. The hatch falls down, and Cas goes inside and picks up a lasgun hanging from the ceiling of the hold. He checks the bat pack then readies the lasgun. 

Hel pops up from the Commander's hole and gives Cas a nod, to which Cas nods in response. Hel points towards a crater left by an artillery shell from a while back. Cas nods and sneaks his way towards it, staying low to the ground as he approaches. As he reaches the crater, he slows down to a snail's pace. Will from inside the Chimera faces the turret of 191 towards the hole, and Hel points his bolt pistol towards the crater. 

In an instant, Cas jumps over the ledge of the crater and points his gun at the wounded thing in the crater. He lowers his weapon. 

"By the Emperor! You scared me." Cas says to the wounded thing.

The wounded thing is a woman with red hair done up in a bun. She wields a blade in one hand and wears armor resembling a material like bone. She grasps her stomach with one hand. She points her sword at Cas, who lowers his lasgun in response. 

"What do you want, monkeigh." 

"Strange thing to call another human," Cas says humorously. "Wheres your squad?"

"If you mean my escort, then they were killed." 

"Damn, that sucks. Well, do you want to come with us?" 

"And why would I go with you, monkeigh." 

"Uh, cause your alone. Duh. Besides, we're heading to the frontline anyway, so you might be assigned a new squad." 

"I do not need a new squad, idiot." The woman hisses.

"Are you a deserter?" Cas says, readying his lasgun. "Cause if you are, I might as well finish you off now and save us both the trouble." 

"Wait!" She says. Her face becomes confused. "Do you know what I am?"

"Yeah, obviously, another human." Cas shrugs. "So are you coming with us or do I have to put you down." 

The woman stands up and weakly limps over to Cas. He puts his lasgun in one hand and wraps his arm around the woman so that she can use him as a crutch. They both exit the crater and face 191.

"Who's that?" Hel shouts to Cas.

"I don't know! A lost guardswoman, I think!" Cas shouts back. 

"Whats a guardsman doing this far from the frontline," Will asks Hel quietly.

"I don't know, but their a comrade nonetheless," Hel whispers back, lowering his bolt pistol. "This is a good time to take a break, huh?" 

"Yeah, I believe that's a good idea," Will says, climbing out of 191. 

Hel follows suite and climbs out of 191 and jumps off her top and onto the ground below. Will follows Hel and jumps off 191. Cas and the woman both make it too 191, and all four of them face each other. 

Hel is the first one to extend a gloved hand towards the woman. "Commander Hel of the Armageddon 312th Steel Legion. What's your name and rank?"

The woman looks at Hel's hand and begrudgingly takes hold of it daintily. "Kelkae. Warlock."

"Warlock? Never heard of it." Hel says, letting go of her hand. He looks to Will and Cas. "Must be one of those high up ranks." 

Cas and Will nod in quiet agreement. Will is the first to leave the group and head towards the back of 191. Cas is the first to open up his trenchcoat revealing his tank top.

"Cas!" Hel shouts.

"What?"

"Please. There's a superior around." Hel tries to whisper but ends up shouting.

"Right. Right." Cas says, buckling his trenchcoat. 

Will comes back with a foldable chair and unfolds it in front of Kelkae. "Please sit," Will says quietly but loud enough for her to hear. Before she can respond, Will heads to the back of 191 again. 

Kelkae looks at the chair and cautiously sits down. Hel finds a nice rock and takes a seat on it. Cas does the same. Will comes back a few seconds later with a box. He places it in front of Hel, who opens the box to reveal stacks of dried meat. 

"Thank the Emperor for Feudal Worlds." Hel prays.

"Thank the Emperor." Will and Cas both pray.

The trio looks at Kelkae. "T-Thank the Emperor." She stutters out.

Hel is the first to remove his gas mask. Underneath the mask is a handsome face matching his position as Commander. He is clean-shaven, and his skin is a pale white. His eyes are a bright blue, and a scar runs down his mouth. His hair is blonde and curls at the ends. 

"I meant to ask…." Cas starts as he looks at Kelkae. "What's with the ears? That some sort of mutation?" 

"Cas!" Hel says through his teeth.

"No, it's fine," Kelkae says. She thinks for a bit. "Yes, it's a mutation."

Cas brightens up. "Seriously!" He looks up at the sky. "Thank the Emperor I'm not the only one."

Cas quickly takes off his gas mask. His eyes are bright green, and his skin is a mocha brown. His most surprising feature is the fact that half his mouth is exposed to the air. His teeth are completely exposed on one side, and the skin surrounding it has been shrunken away. His hair is dark and straight. 

"See, we're the same!" Cas says gleefully. 

"Cas calm down!" Hel shouts.

Cas shrinks as he takes a piece of dried meat from the box and chews on it. Some of the bits of beef fall from his mouth as he eats. 

Will is the last to take off his mask. Just like Hel, he is quite handsome. He is clean-shaven as well and has green eyes like Cas. His hair is a blonde mess and curls at the ends.

"If you couldn't tell. Yes. We are biological brothers." Will says.

Kelkae immediately looks at Cas.

"He's a mutation," Hel says.

"I can see that," Kelkae says, picking up a piece of dried meat. She inspects it and looks at the trio. All three of them are comping down at the meat quickly. "Are you starving?" 

"Nah. We just don't get meat very often," Will responds. 

"Yeah, they usually feed us mystery bars," Cas says, sucking on another piece of meat. "Pure meat is a rarity." 

"We don't live very long, so we gotta make the best with what we got," Hel says, picking up some meat. 

"I see," Kelkae says, taking a small nibble of the meat. She smiles as the dry, yet somehow salty taste goes down her throat. "It's good." 

"Isn't it?" Hel says.

The quad continues chomping on the meat until the box is empty. Will takes the box and throws it into the crater. Kelkae gets up from the chair to which Will takes it and puts it back in 191. Cas is the first to head back inside 191. As he enters, the engine roars back to life. 

"Well, we're going to head out now," Hel says to Kelkae. "You can sit in the back. There's plenty of space." 

"As you say," Kelkae says as she enters the cargo hold of 191.

Will and Hel both enter 191 in their respective positions.

"Alright. Let's head out!"

191 roars in agreement and pushes forward. She drives as the sun wanes, and the moon takes control. 


	2. Chapter 2

The moon shines brightly over 191. Her treads go smoothly over the rocky crags beneath her. Her engine roars with excitement spewing out black smoke as she chugs through the night. 

Her top hatch is open, and Hel pops out, leaning out of it and resting on the edge of the hatch. He scans the dark environment with a pair of binoculars. He lowers the binoculars and lets out a sigh. He retreats back into 191 and sits back in his chair. 

"Anything?" Will asks

"Nothing," Hel responds, placing the binoculars on the floor. 

"Well, that's better than something. Right?" Cas says, stretching his arm. 

"I suppose." Hel yawns.

Silence overtakes the crew. Just then, the door separating the crew from the cargo is tried. First, it is pushed, but the door doesn't budge. 

"Its a pull," Hel yells without looking at the door.

The door is pulled, and Kelkae pokes her head through the now open doorway. She curiously looks around the crew area. Hel turns around in his chair and looks at her. 

"Never been in a chimera before?" He asks

"No. This vehicle is much cruder than our wave serpents." Kelkae says haughtily. "It is shameful that I am being transported in this."

"Yeah, sorry, this is the best we've got." Hel starts. "She may be ugly-" 

"HEY!" Cas interrupts. "191 is a beauty!"

"Cas is right." Will agrees. "If she were a woman, I'd fuck her." 

"I'd fuck her twice," Cas says, putting a fist up. 

Kelkae winces at their crude language. "You have such feeling for this vehicle?"

"Of course, we do." Will confidently says. "Unlike the other regiments, we of the Steel Legion appreciate the destructive capabilities of Chimera's." 

"I have never met monkeigh with such vivid feelings for an inanimate object."

"Well, then you never met Steel Legion," Hel says, spinning back in his chair. He places a hand against 191's hull. "We live and die in our Chimera's." 

"Ain't that the truth," Will says.

Hel nods in agreement. He picks up the binoculars off the floor and opens the top hatch again. He pops through the hatch and is greeted by a light breeze that blows against his gas mask. He peers through his binoculars and sees a fire in the distance to the left of 191. He lowers back into 191.

"Cas, do you see that fire in the distance?" 

"Yeah, I can see it, but just a little. What do you think it could be?" 

"It might be the Eldar we are looking for."

Kelkae's face turns to surprise. "You're looking for Eldar?"

"Yeah. Our orders are to transport them to the frontlines." Hel says without looking at Kelkae. "Cas head towards the fire."

"Roger that."

191 banks to her left and starts to head towards the distant fire at top speed. She makes it to the outskirts of the fire in a matter of minutes.

The fire's origin is a half-destroyed wave serpent. Its hull burns in the waning night. Outside, the serpent are a group of indiscernible figures. The figures turn towards 191 as she approaches, and they take battle stances. 191 stops a safe distance from them, and Hel pops out from the hatch. He wields his bolt pistol in one hand. 

"Who are you lot?" Hel shouts at the figures.

"Monkeigh, we are Eldar of Craftworld Lybraesil!" One of the figures shouts back. "We demand your service." 

Hel ducks back into 191 and looks at Will. "Do you believe them?"

"They could be Dark Eldar. Did they specify which Eldar they are?" Will asks.

From behind the two men, a loud slap can be heard. Both men look behind them to see Kelkae's face buried in one of her hands. She slowly drags her hand down her face as she looks at both men with a face of complete disappointment.

"What's the matter, Kelkae?" Hel questions. 

"They are Eldar. E-L-D-A-R." She says, annoyed. "We must go and greet them." 

"Well, as my superior, I will go with what you say," Hel says seriously. "Do you want to take Cas with you?" 

"Don't just volunteer me." Cas blurts. "Asshole."

"You're the most disposable of us," Hel explains. "Anyone of us can drive 191." 

"That's bullshit," Cas says, turning in his seat. "I know for a fact that Will can't drive 191." 

"I can. It's just that I'm better at aiming the turret." Will says without looking at Cas.

"Will can. The problem is that driving is all you're good at. You can't aim worth shit, and you definitely can't command." Hel explains. 

Cas opens his mouth then closes it once he realizes the correctness of Hel's statement. "Fine, I'll go."

Cas gets out of his chair and heads towards the door where Kelkae stands. He gently pushes past her and unhitches the lasgun from the ceiling. He silently releases the lever controlling the ramp in the back. The ramp opens, letting a cold breeze enter 191's interior. 

"Let's get this over with," Cas says with slight annoyance.

Kelkae nods and follows Cas outside 191. They slowly walk towards the figures who watch as they approach. Cas keeps his lasgun at his hips and pointed forward. He leans towards Kelkae.

"If something goes wrong, I'll distract, but you need to get back to 191." He whispers 

"Nothing will go wrong here." Kelkae spits back.

Cas shrugs. "You're my superior. If you die, I die. So let's keep that from happening, yeah?" 

Before Kelkae can respond, Cas stops. Kelkae just now realizes how close they have come to the figures. In front of them stands a tall, slender woman with bright red hair. Her armor is blue and white, with two wings coming out of the back outstretched to the sky. Flanking each of her sides are equally tall and slender women wearing slim white and blue armor that Cas has never seen before. In total, they number eight, excluding Cas and Kelkae. 

Kelkae immediately takes a knee in the presence of the winged woman. Cas remains standing his mask covering his awe at the sight of the women. He nearly loses his grip on the lasgun but quickly recovers his senses.

"Are you the Commander of this transport?" The winged woman asks Cas.

Cas barely hears the woman as he is gripped between both fear and admiration. He takes a step back from the woman causing the women to take a step forward towards him. He tries to take another step back, but his foot snags on a rock, and he falls backward onto the ground. Cas's breath hastens as he struggles to get up. 

"Answer me, monkeigh!" The winged woman shouts quickly losing patience. 

"N-no, ma'am." Cas stutters out instinctively, lowering his head. 

"Where is your Commander?" One of the women hisses. She faces towards the winged woman. "These monkeigh have no respect."

"Quiet sister. This monkeigh may yet be useful to us if we use him well." The winged woman says, looking at Cas. "Why does your Commander send us the-" 

"Driver." Cas whispers.

"Yes, the "Driver." Does he fear us?" 

"We don't fear anybody." Cas proudly says, looking the winged woman in the eyes. "He sends me because if something goes wrong-." Cas points behind him. "-that multilaser will cut us all to ribbons." His confidence quickly fades, and he lowers his head again. 

"Ah, I see." The winged woman says, rubbing her chin. "Knowing this, you still came out to greet us?" 

"Y-Yes ma'am."

"Admirable, but stupid." One of the women says. "Typical monkeigh strategy."

The winged woman turns her attention to the kneeling Kelkae. "You can stand now, Warlock." 

"As you say Autarch," Kelkae says, standing. 

"You are traveling with this monkeigh? Why?"

"These monkeigh picked me up when I was wounded," Kelkae says. "We are currently headed to the frontlines."

"I see." The winged woman says with uncomfortable glee, which sends a shiver down Cas's spine. She turns to Cas. "We will travel with you." 

Cas raises his free hand into the air and gives a thumbs up. Cas lets out a deep breath and looks at the winged woman. He then looks to Kelkae. "Follow me."

The winged woman nods, and she follows next to Cas her entourage following behind with Kelkae leading the rear. Cas takes off his gas mask and lets the cold air of the night blow against his sweaty face. He takes a quick side glance at the winged woman. He is surprised to find her completely staring at his mutated side. 

"That's close enough." The familiar voice of Hel pierces the quiet night.

The party looks towards the voice to find the turret of 191 pointing directly at them. The women behind the winged one take battle stances with their swords drawn.

"Cas. You alright?" Hel asks.

"I'm alright, Hel," Cas says, heading to the rear of 191. 

"You must be the Commander." The winged woman says. "I am Autarch Lanariel."

"Commander Hel at your service ma'am," Hel responds. "I was told that you are Eldar? Is that true?"

"That is true, Hel." The winged woman says. "You will transport us to the frontlines. Is that understood?" 

"It's understood. Our orders were to transport some Eldar to the frontlines anyway."

"Good, then there are no problems."

"No, ma'am."

Hel disappears into 191 and closes the hatch. Cas comes back around the side of 191 without his lasgun. He nudges his head towards the back of 191 to which Lanariel follows. Cas is the first to enter through 191's rear and quickly disappears into the crew area of 191. Lanariel, Kelkae, and the rest of the women take their seats in the back. 

In the crew area, Cas pushes past Hel and takes his seat back in the driver's position. He flips some switches and starts up 191's engines. In an instant, 191 comes back to life and begins to move again. 

The crew is silent as 191 pushes forward. Cas's mask is still removed and rests in his lap. Hel looks down at Cas, whose legs are shaking madly. 

"Cas, you alright?" Hel asks.

"Yeah, Hel, I'm fine." 

"You don't look fine," Will adds.

"You wouldn't feel fine if you had to talk to the most attractive woman you've ever seen."

"She wasn't that good looking," Hel says.

"You obviously didn't see her as I did," Cas says. "The moonlight was perfectly bathing her. I just can't get the image of her out of my head."

"You should tell her then," Will says.

"Are you insane, Will? She is way outta my league. I mean c'mon, I'm a damn mutant!" 

"Never know till you try," Hel says in a teacherly tone. He opens the hatch of 191 and pops back out.

The sun peaks over the horizon and lights up the environment. Hel takes out his binoculars and looks through them. He slowly does a 360-degree turn. He spots something to the west. He lowers the binoculars and eyes it for himself. The object is coming closer at breakneck speeds.

"Will!" Hel shouts. "Incoming to the west!"

Will turns the turret to the west of 191 and points it at the incoming object. "Enemies?" Will asks intensely.

Hel looks through the binoculars again. This time he can make out the details of the object. A Dark Eldar raider heads towards them, its sails unfurled and standing proudly in the dawn.

"Dark Eldar!" Hel shouts. "Prepare for combat!"

Will starts to fire the multilaser at the raider. The anti-gravity vehicle gracefully dodges the shots and quickly closes the gap between the two vehicles. The raider rides right next to 191, matching her speed even at her fastest. The raider is commandeered by nine Dark Eldar one on the prow gun, one driving and seven wyches hanging off the sides equipped with a variety of melee weapons. 

Hel takes out his bolt pistol and takes shots at a wych hanging off the side. She gracefully dodges each of his shots much to his annoyance. The wych changes her razor flail into its whip form and starts to slash at Hel. Hel responds by closing the hatch to 191 and retreating inside her hull.

"WILL! Take it out already!" Hel shouts.

"The multilaser ain't cutting through it!" Will shouts back.

The raider breaks away from 191 as the multilaser pelts it nonstop. The turret follows close to the raider and continues to fire even as the raider retreats. The multilaser comes to a sudden halt as it overheats. Hel pops out of the hatch again and watches the raider go off into the distance.

"Did we make them retreat?" Cas asks from below.

"Looks that way," Hel says, taking out his binoculars. "Wait….." 

Hel watches as the raider reappears. This time it's charging straight at 191. Hel quickly retreats into 191.

"CAS THEY'RE GOING TO RAM US! DRIVE FASTER!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

191 speeds forward, unable to escape the raider. Will shoots at the raider using the multilaser, but the shots seem to have no effect on the raider's speed. In one motion, the raider rams into 191 piercing her hull and destroying her left treads disabling her. The prow of the raider enters into the crew area and pierces Cas cutting off his arm at the elbow and entering into his left side. 

"FUCK!" Cas yells out as the prow pins him into the driver seat. His arm falls to the ground below, and blood starts to rush out of the open wound. 

The prow of the raider quickly withdraws from 191, and the morning sun shines through the new hole in 191's hull. Cas screams out in pain as he grasps his wounds as best he can. Hel quickly pops open the hatch again and starts firing at the raider. His shots hit the gunner whose head explodes in gore as the bolt rips through it. 

A wych jumps off the raider and climbs onto 191 as Hel reloads. Before he can finish reloading, he is pulled out of the hatch by the wych and thrown to the ground below. The wych enters into 191 and starts to fight with Will in the tight quarters of the crew area, all while Cas screams in pain. 

Will puts up a good fight against the more capable wych but is quickly being overwhelmed by the blows. Cas grabs at the wych's legs but is swiftly kicked in the face multiple times. It all comes to an end as a sword pierces the wych's exposed stomach. She falls into Hel's seat lifeless as the sword is withdrawn from her, and the face of Kelkae greets the duo. 

Without a word, Will pushes past Kelkae and unhitches a lasgun and opens the back of 191. Lanariel and her entourage, as well as Will, charge out from the back of 191 and engage the now dismounted wyches. Hel lays on the ground, knocked unconscious by the throw from before. As the Eldar engage each other, Will sneaks around and grabs hold of Hel and drags him back into the hull of 191. 

Laughter, howling, and the screams of Cas fill the dawn. The clashing of blades and the grunts of women fill the air. Will heads back into the crew area with bandages and begins to tend to Cas. He wraps bandages around Cas's wounds and injects him full of stimulants. Will reaches under Cas's chair and pulls out a laspistol and puts it in his lap. He pats him on the helmet and quickly heads back to the rear of 191 to check on Hel. 

As he checks Hel's pulse, Cas resumes screaming. Will quickly heads back to the crew area to be greeted by Cas being pulled through the still open hatch. 

"WILL!" Cas screams in panic as he struggles against his aggressors.

Will stumbles as he tries to reach for Cas's leg. He misses the leg as Cas is pulled entirely out of 191. Will rushes to the hatch and climbs out of it only to see Cas being chained to the raider by a wych. 

"WILL!" Cas yells. "KILL ME!"

Will scrambles back into 191 and picks up the laspistol off the ground near the driver's seat. He returns to the hatch only to see the raider take off into the distance, with Cas still screaming Will's name. 

Will rushes to the driver's seat of 191 and tries to start her engines. Her engines roar to life, but her treads are torn. Her engines cry as she can do nothing to help her captured crew. Will slams against the dashboard of 191 shouting profanities.

Hel enters into the crew area rubbing his head. He leans against the hull drunkenly. "What happened?" He asks

"THEY TOOK HIM!" Will shouts. "They took Cas…." He whispers.

"We have to go after them."

"We can't. The treads are gone." Will leans back in the driver's seat defeated. "Repairing them will take hours, at least." 

"Then we repair them and chase after them," Hel says, pushing the wyches body out of his chair and taking a seat. 

"But our orders…."

"Fuck the orders," Hel says. "I'd rather die than let them have their way will Cas. Ain't that right, 191." 

191 engines roar even louder as if answering her commander.

"What about the Eldar?" Will asks

"We'll just tell them we're heading to the frontline still."

Will nods in silent agreement. "Then let's do it."


End file.
